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PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN #39
"Operation: Octopus"
Recommended (8/10)
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Marvel Comics
Writer: Paul Jenkins
Pencils: Mark Buckingham
Inks: Wayne Faucher
Colors: Transparency Digital
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Axel Alonso
Price: $2.25 US/$3.50 CAN |
Jenkins is at
his best when he's doing single-issue, character-focused stories, so I was a
little disappointed to see him doing a more action-oriented three-issue arc,
starting this issue. However, the artwork and writing are still solid, and the
plot device behind Doctor Octopus's latest scheme is an interesting one. And
while Jenkins is stronger on the less action-heavy stories, Buckingham's work is
equally strong with a fight between Doctor Octopus and Spider-Man as it is on a
bunch of kids touring a science museum.
Even with a longer story,
Jenkins focuses his story on characters and how they act. The bits with Peter
and his class at the science museum were terrific, a great reminder of how Peter
has always been a science geek, and as always, Jenkins does a great job with
Spidey's relationships with other heroes, this time out reminding us of the
friendship between Spidey and Daredevil. In addition, I appreciated the work
done on the Congressman and his wife, not to mention the characterization given
to Doctor Octopus. While it's a storytelling trick to make Fusion seem a more
powerful villain, having Doctor Octopus so cowed and afraid of his boss also
serves to give Octopus a little characterization.
The plot that these two have
cooked up is still a bit nebulous, but I'm intrigued. Rather than something as
simple and cliched as a bomb or a robbery, the story here revolves around
political corruption and biotechnology, more complex issues for a more complex
story. I'm not sure exactly what they're trying to accomplish, but I'm
definitely curious to find out.
In addition to being a
different approach, the use of political corruption allows Jenkins to touch on
Peter's roots in journalism. I'm not completely happy with the take on Jonah
Jameson, who has always been a buffoon but has generally had decent journalistic
instincts when Spider-Man isn't concerned. Instead, Jenkins plays up the
buffoonery, and he takes it just a bit too far for my taste, turning an
interesting supporting character into little more than a joke. But I was
generally pleased to see Robbie and Jonah once again, and to see a journalist's
side of this story. I suspect that the public exposure of Congressman Miles will
play as large a part in the conclusion of the story as Spider-Man's actions.
As always, I was really impressed with the work of Mark Buckingham and Wayne Faucher on this issue. They've got a distinctive take on Spider-Man, Peter Parker and the rest of the cast that reminds me of the classic work of John Romita Sr., and whether it's action or character development, the artwork never fails to clearly convey the action. There's a reason why Peter Parker had one of
the more readable of the "'Nuff Said" stories, and these guys are it.
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